Tasting North Carolina

When I started this blog in 2008 it was because I was feeling totally alone in a strange place, a strange life, and I missed home. I needed tastes of my childhood to help me remember who I was and why I had chosen this path. In the years that followed the blog became a haven during jobs that I hated or when I felt creatively stunted. And as I continued to live in the Northeast it became a way to stay connected to my home state, to assert my North Carolinian identity. Through all this, the cumulative eight years I spent in Maryland, I always knew I wanted to come home. And as Biscuits and Such grew and became a part of my routine and a part of me, I didn’t ever stop to consider how it would change when I was no longer a displaced Southerner trying to find pieces of home in a Northerner’s world.

These days I’m surrounded by the things that I love and missed. If I wanted to I could eat grits and biscuits every day and I wouldn’t even have to make them. I no longer have to recreate home because I am home. And in a lot of ways, because of that, the blog has changed. I’ve felt uncertain of its direction, uncertain of its purpose. I’m sure you’ve noticed it, this hasn’t really been a settled space in months. The process of moving, taking time for the holidays, and settling in has given me a lot of time to think about what I wanted out of this website. Asking myself the age old question (that I usually hate), what’s next? We are in a new house that we love, we have new jobs (that I’ll talk about soon enough, I’m sure), we’re feeling happier than we’ve ever been. I want that enthusiasm and love of this place to seep into every part of my life, especially Biscuits and Such. I want this blog to become more than a tribute to the South I remember, I want it to become a celebration of the South that is.

So, with that, I’m excited to launch a new project, Tasting North Carolina. My goal is simple, over the next few years I’d like to create and share a recipe that is representative of each of North Carolina’s 100 counties. This is a huge undertaking, and I’ll admit to feeling a bit intimidated. I don’t know much about most of the counties in North Carolina, but that’s what excites me about it. It will involve research, travel, and learning the stories of the state that I am so happy to call home. I envision the foods to be a mix of regional cuisines, specialty dishes, and old favorites. Because North Carolina has so many counties I’m hoping that I can pull some unique and hyper-regional dishes and recipes to share here on the blog. I’ll be posting them all with links to a main roundup where you can follow the progress and revisit favorite recipes.

I want to showcase each part of this wonderful place, and I invite you to help me do it. If you have a recipe that you think would be perfect for your county or a county in NC that you love, please email me (elena@biscuitsandsuch.com). I am so excited to launch this project and I hope that you will join me! We’ll be kicking off tomorrow with a seasonal favorite from Onslow County- oysters!

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7 Comments

vickie

Chicken noodles
1 whole chicken
water to cover chicken in stockpot
1-2 t Chicken Betterthanbouillon
Cook chicken with chicken betterthanbouillon added to water for about 1 hour or until falling off the bones.
Remove chicken and let cool, then shred or cube.

2 can cream of chicken soup
1 bag of noodles
Meanwhile, strain chicken both and can cream of chicken soup.
Bring to boil, then add noodles and cook until tender.
Put in crockpot along with shredded chicken and cook on low at least 30 min..
This recipe is from Stanly County

I’m excited to follow along with this! I went to school in Durham, and even after only 4 years there I miss the food. When I get the chance to go visit the majority of my trip revolves around where I’m going to eat.

I own a small cafe in Asheville NC the heart of WNC. Born here raised here. I would love to share some recipes with you, you can check out our website. Feel free to contact me and we can chat about food.